Chapter 26
Amelia returned to the room and sat on the couch. Carter returned carrying a tray.
“Petunia wanted to share birthday cupcakes and cookies with her friends, but I know where she keeps the water and crackers.” He winked at Rose as he passed.
He set the tray down and handed his sister a wet cloth. My cell phone rang, and I glanced at the caller ID. Ms. Delany was on the other end.
“We have a problem,” she announced.
“You don’t say,” I answered as I met Max’s gaze across the room.
“She’s had a few incoming and outgoing calls today. Three to be exact.”
“That should make things easier.” I swallowed and turned my gaze to Amelia. “Who to?”
“The news reporter, which I’m guessing you already knew, and of course Dexter Cline, but there’s one you probably aren’t aware of.”
“Who?” I asked.
“Petunia’s ex-security guard, Johnny McIntire.”
I let out a long sigh. I’d known Johnny liked to kiss girls. Maybe it had been Amelia that he’d been kissing that day. There was no easy way to ask. I stepped over to Max and rested my hand on his arm. “I need you and Carter to leave the room.”
“Why?” he asked. “If it’s about Amelia or Petunia, we should stay.”
“I have some hard questions to ask, and I can’t afford either of you trying to control her answers.”
He shook his head and shoved his hands into his pockets. “No.”
“If I can’t get to the truth, I can’t protect them.” I touched his arm. “Petunia’s life could depend on it.”
“I can’t. She’s my sister, and this is creeping into my sector. If she’s done anything to incriminate herself, I need to be here as her legal counsel.”
I pulled him out into the hallway. “You think she’s in on this?”
“No, but I can see that you do. Just because she leaked out that Dexter was running for office doesn’t mean she’s guilty of anything else.”
“She called Johnny McIntire today.”
Max slid his hands out of his pockets. “Why?”
“I need to ask her about it. He’s been known to flirt with the people that work here. It could get embarrassing to have her brothers listening in.”
“That’s all you’re going to ask her?” he asked, holding my gaze.
“I promise I’ll call you in if the subject changes.”
Max stepped into the room. “Carter, you and I should take a walk.”
“Now?” he asked, standing from his seat next to Amelia.
“Yeah. We need to give Amelia some privacy with Gwen.”
“Right,” he said, heading toward the door.
I waited until the door shut then sat in a chair facing Amelia. “I hope it’s okay that I asked your brothers to leave.”
“Sure. I’m just surprised they listened.”
